Box Score LA VERNE, Calif. (Oct. 13, 2021) – Four different Beavers found the back of the net to propel Caltech men's soccer to its first SCIAC win of the 2021 season by a 4-1 score line at the University of La Verne on Wednesday night.
Under the tutelage of first-year head coach Duncan Gillis, the Beavers took the field looking to go ahead from the outset. Senior Rohan Mirchandani (Pleasanton, Calif. / Foothill) had a second-minute shot hit the post before rookie Andy Dimnaku (Wellesley, Mass. / Wellesley) got free up top to rip a pair of shots that forced saves in the 16th minute. It was senior Daniel Israel San Jose, Calif. / Lynbrook) who finally put Caltech in front in the 17th minute and kept up the relentless pressure from there, forcing another three saves in the next six minutes.
The hosts finally were able to win more possession as the game carried on, but Caltech tallied a crucial insurance goal and the eventual game-winner on a free kick in the 44th minute. La Verne then opened the second half pressing hard to get back into the game, with sophomore Derek Ing (Hong Kong / Hong Kong Int'l) called upon to make a save for the first time in the 49th minute.
The Leopards broke through shortly afterward following a long goal kick with about a 10-second turnaround between the goalkeeper's boot and the score-halving strike. Both goalkeepers were tested again within 30 seconds of one another in the ensuing minute before both defenses locked in for a ferocious battle, forcing several shots wide or blocking them outright.
Disaster struck for the hosts in the 67th minute as the center official awarded a penalty following a rebound from another blocked Dimnaku shot. Late arrival senior Samir Johnson (Portland, Ore. / Jesuit) stepped up to the spot in his third game back this season and calmly slotted it home for the insurance goal, which preceded a pair of frustration fouls by La Verne while Caltech shifted fully into defensive mode for the next few minutes. As the final minutes ticked away, sophomore Anas Zouhar (Rockville, Md. / Rochambeau French Int'l) sent a header on goal to force yet another save before later winning a scramble in front of goal to put the game out of reach with just five minutes remaining.
The Beavers outshot their opponent for the first time this season, 22-16 including a 10-1 edge in the dominant first half, while committing just seven fouls in a classy performance. Ing made five stops in his first collegiate win. The victory marks the third straight season Caltech has recorded a conference win – a first since its six-year run with at least one win from 2006-11.
Gillis and the Beavers will turn right around seeking their second victory against the team they had most recently defeated back in 2019 at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Saturday.
